Wind energy is referred to by Ontario’s Independent System Operator (IESO) as an effective tool in managing the province’s electricity system. The IESO’s 2013 Annual Report states: “Wind generation has taken on a whole new role in the Ontario electricity system – moving from a passive resource to one that is actively used to balance supply against demand. The dispatch of wind has become an effective tool to manage surplus baseload generation.”

Wind energy is also cheaper than new nuclear power and cost-competitive with new hydroelectric power, and costs continue to fall as new technology boosts output, and economies of scale reduce production and supply costs.